| Show r MR BALFOUR REFORMED IDLER l o 01 tho Lazy Lozy Who la Ia tho to Will Overcame Ov p pk 1 k tl n f 4 n n r n 11 n n nr tU runn 1 C During D u n recent reeMt null dull sitting of ot the tho house ho ee of ot commons common several sev members were wO w r seated In the ta smoking room dis dla discussing cussing cul ono one of ot their colleagues Ho Jo o was lazy thoy tho said salti ho was wM utterly unpractical ho had not tho faintest ch of ot arriving at anything great Dont DolIt be bo so o sure eure sold said an old mom mem member ber who had been listening to their talk It SIt Is a n ticklish business to men mell menDo Do you OU know that we 0 used to say sa ay th very vcr same sume things about lo lois Iou s O years CArs ego ago and now ho 14 If prime primo iI I of Great Britain In 1885 und and 1886 leso none of oC us dreamed that ho tin would over become became l stul politician let lot atone alone a great As Ai president of oC tho the local governs govern government ment board and secretary for Scotland he had hild managed to miss UI all his chances of ot doing anything remarkable He lie was wa clover clever enough but ho lie taka take the trouble to work It 1 s to tobe tobe tobe be almost too much bother to him to live He lie seldom got out of ot boil beil before hr afternoon and often otten he ho would not po ItO to tr his for tor three o or four tour days at nt a II time him parlin ment was wM va a 1 nuisance antI and tho the officials of ot his hI department tore their hair over his biN neglect to keep appointments and sign Important documents Well this was the lie man whom Lord Salisbury Sall bury appointed chief secretary for tor Ireland In 1884 one of ot the stormiest periods perlo s in the modern history of oC that country Of Ot course courte everybody raged and said that Salisbury had Appointed the mon unfit man hum he could have found In hi a days march simply because that man man happened to be bo his own nephew The ThO Irish members were wore delighted They they hud had got a II man of oC straw for tor their chief che opponent alone llone daw 1111 aw the truth I Dont yourselves ho lie told his colleagues Salisbury knows ho Is doing Theres a great deal more In than he has hils shown us liS yet et Ho He will turn out to bo be the strongest chief secretary for generations past pant And so It proved Faced at last lut with an Immensely difficult and Important task Balfour altered his habits com corn completely There was no more lying abed until noon no more neglect of at business no nomore nomore nomore more scorn acorn for tor petty details lIe He rose roso lO O with tho the lark even een after a 1 hard nights session In the tho houge of commons worked hard all day and GIld every eory day at lit athis athis his When ho he became chief secretary he ha knew w no io more moro about Irish Irl h affairs than the average man In tho the street but In Jess les than a Q month ho he surprised the tho per permanent permanent manent by his bin thorough know edge dge of ot over liver every bratich braich of ot Irish govern government pent ment And as he ho worked and learned his character and will grow stronger er rho Tho lalY vacillating philosopher who make up his 1315 mind about any thing became in a few tew short weeks the stern administrator who tele telegraphed telegraphed telegraphed graphed Dont hesitate to shoot to the soldiers at when they kel how they were vere to deal with a riotous mob You u all aU know how he helias has lias risen since then It Is u a good lesson to be careful In your judgments concluded the tho old member Strange to say this man who ho has hns hassen risen sen to tho the top of ot the tho ladder In British politics politic is tn no lover of volt poll tics HI I U I IL a politician by family in influence fluence and chance not by choice choicer t Tho The nephew of oC Lord Salisbury Ar Arthur Arthur ArT r T thur J 7 was born to tho the pur purple pie and destined for parliament from t his Eton days Hut Dut his hi tastes ta lc are aro lit literary liter arat er y and academic not political and J rf He cares more for tor the tho hon lion honors honors ors which have been showered upon him hii by all aJl tho the British universities In l recognition of ot lila his achievements In I philosophy than ho he doe doca for tor his po fame tame I dive mo me my an books my golf golt clubs and leisure he h once said to a friend and I would ask for tor nothing more I My Iy y Ideal in life ute is I to read n a lot write a little play plenty of golf golt and have havo haveS S nothing to worry about If It I could give up url politics and retire tomorrow Without disorganizing disorganising things and und neglecting my any duty duly I would gladly I do so BO sot BOi t i Mr Balfour has often otten said Mid this and there I Is no doubt that he ho Is sincere fib Ho is too much of ot a II philosopher to bo be ambitious Entering politics more moro as a n social necessity than anything else elee ho he drifted from one ono alike oI ce to another un until In I til at last ho he reached a D position in which he had bad to work hard or In his hla view Interests by byI I neglect He lie worked hard and add made good As n a reward ho was given ghen still stillmore stillmore more Important posts which have kept him working busily ever over since In the strenuous coercion days 1018 when Mr Balfour stood In grave danger dl nger of ot assassination he worried his hs friends by absolutely refusing to take tako any precautions Ho lb would not even allow himself to be guarded by secret service men thought though a previous secretary I Lord rd Frederick Cavendish hall had been murdered In Dublin He Ho was constantly shadowed by de do detectives detectives against his orders and ho housed housed housed used to got get great groot amusement by try tr trIng Ing lag to shake them thorn off ott He lie did not hesitate to travel alone even een In the tho most disturbed parts of or Ireland where scores s rOll of ot men would have havo been glad Rind to kill him had they recognized him as all their arch nem Bloody mood whoso whose name Mme was wa for tor a n while as detested In Ireland as liS that thal of oC Cromwell cool courage finally finall won tho the respect of ot tho the Irish and ani when he ho relinquished control of oC Irish affairs he was as popular as any chief secre secretary 4 tary could bo be under a n policy of coer coercion coercion cion don Even Een the tho th Irish members In lii tho the house of ot commons common liked him as they do today lIe He tells us with exquisite polite politeness ness flees that we wo aro are fools Cools when whon we e moot meat him here hert and ho he sends ends us to jail when we are arc In Ireland the late Dr Tan lan Tanner lanner ner ncr M lit J 1 P for tor Cork to 10 say nay But nut he has hili such a II charming way WilY with him that nobody can help holp liking him That is how all Mr tr r opponents opponent ent feel toward to rd him Nobody hits out o t harder than ho he doas does In debate but there Is never any on personal bitter nets nesi any malicious sting in his re ro remarks marks as there almost always Is in III Mr hr Chamberlains Mr Balfour DalCour is one OM of ot the kindliest most moat gentle men alive Ills His courtesy I I and consideration for others are ar un tin unfailing In Int t failing tailing and that li M why h he ho Is the most moat popular leader of at the house of I commons In III the history of ot parliament In English society he ho is ts extremely popular and much sought after Years ago ego dowagers used to angle angie for tor him for tor their daughters He II 11 is de do decidedly eligible In the marriage market markt being as well as liS distinguished but he has never neer married and nobody expects expect that he lIe will Even en to t o most t hopeful dowagers have 1100 given him up upu as u A n confirmed bachelor Next to his liis book Mr Ir Balfour finds I hit his hi chief pleasures In golfing and cycling Mr Chamberlain has haa been heard to boast bout that thal he never takes any other exercise e e than lIum that of oC walking up and down stairs Not Nt pt so his hiu chief Mr Balfour n t one of oC tM th best beet golfers In inthe the house houie of commons He lIe started the s anual parliamentary nil iou tournament anil un always was elands b i high up In It H tIe Us used to be bo captain of at the oldest anti and moat famous golf golt club III th Ihy liv world tho lloyal and Ancient club of ot fit Rt Andrews and ho is still tho the president prOficIent of or the National Cyclists union of oC Groat Brit Urit nn din The ht nd cuddle caddie on 01 tho the St An Andrews drews links U is fond COI 1 of ot remarking ro rl that hat a u splendid golf golC proton professional was lost in Mr Balfour when he ho turned his hid attention to statesman statesmanship ship When Mr Gladstone was alive mem mom hers born of oC tho the house hOUle of commons USed to wonder whether ho lie or Mr Balfour was fonder cinder of DC potting petting children Although political opponents they were vere Intimate friends liked literature better than tho the rough anti and tumble of oC politics and they were bound together nina also by their f for Cor children especially c for tor Dorothy Drew Mr pet grandchild In earlier years they both bolh petted Lady Sybil Primrose Lord daughter whom Mr Ir Gladstone nick nicknamed nicknamed named the suffrage babe because she was O born bom nt ot a 11 when n a nut suf suffrage frage bill was agitating parliament An n writer lIlter who hits has met Mr Balfour on several occasions tells with of oC tho the first meeting It was wasat wasat IS at n it 1 great conservative demonstration In a Kentish park In 1837 1887 Mr hal Bal Balfour four Cout was wn the tho principal speaker hod the writer was wan then a n little boy Belling pro programs grams grains tar for tho the good of the cause ns us Is 18 tho habit of ot tho the sons of oC league thames Greatly daring during tho the boy stopped Mr Balfour ns as n ho was wt walking through the park to tho time platform to make his speech and asked him to buy bay a 1 pro PIO program program gram grain Mr Ir Balfour took one ono and anti paid vaid 10 times the tho proper price i Im rIll glad to see seo you helping our cause so C young my may little man ho he raid paid patting tho the boys hired head What are you going to be he when you grow up Id N like to be ho a great man In II parlia parlin parliament ment mont like Ilka you sir the youngster re replied reo plied Dont you exclaimed Mr Balfour laughing Theres There no fun tun In It IL Id rather bo be b n a boy bay like hike you Home of or tIme the organizers of the meet meetIng meetIng Ing lag came camo up and told Mr Ir Balfour that the tho people were waiting to hear h nr him speak but he be waved wand them aside Cant you see seo Im trying to strength strengthen en tho the faith of at a young he M said Then ho asked the tho boy nil all about his homo haute life lite anti hum his hl schoolmates and gave him seine name sound advice on school practise practise tise the Dont get Ret Into more moro lights fights than you youcan youcan ou can help but if it you to fight let tho the other boy knock you ou blind and silly before you ou give In That the only way to get on and have a n good time Ten years afterward when wilen the tho boy was wan wn working on a n London newspaper he ho hind hall occasion to call on Mr Balfour at nt his hili office in Downing street Do you remember buying of at me mo at Southwood In 1887 1982 he ha asked Why yes soul said Mr Balfour and lira are you yott tha the boy bo for tor whom I kept tho the meeting waiting Dont you think now that I was wise In telling you ou there thero was asno no fun tun In politics politic 1 This Is in an tin example of oC Mr hIt wonderful memory As with most nb tib men mell his hlll memory for tor events Is III remarkably r good goo 1 when whon they are called to his attention IIII Mr rs most striking charac characteristic perhaps Is his oven even vell temper Nothing seems to runic m le him In thu old old 01 1 coercion days das lie he would sit alt for tor hours on all the treasury bench of oC tho house of commons with a pleasant plea nt smile on his 1111 taco face while the tho Irish members vero comparing him unfavorably to Nero and Herod and saying raying that It they theyon caw on him in time tho company of ot Ananias and thoy they would consider him hint to bo be In the bosom of at his mi family Other Conservative members m would jump up and Interrupt but the theman theman man attacked never showed a u trace of oC annoyance His JUs friends say Sly that only once has Mr MI M Balfour been known to show anger In public Some Homo young youns Tories orles snowballed Mr Gladstone when hen he ho visited Dover Door dur during lug ing tho ho last years ears of at his life lite Mr hal Bal Balfour four tour had to address a n Tory meeting at Dover Doter soon noon afterwards and ho he took occasion oCla lolI to denounce tho the outrage In un unmeasured measured terms His Ills language usually so calm and philosophical became a torrent of passionate invective and before ho he had hati finished ho lie had lost con control COntrol control of oC himself I believe ho he would have wrung the necks of oC those young fools It If he lie could said suld tho the chairman of ot the after afterward afterward ward Though Mr ImIr has hns never mar tied I eil his whole shola life liCe and character have been molded by a woman his sister lister Miss Alice Allee Balfour She Is an Ac ne Accomplished high minded woman who wields great groat Influence In English po political circle circles It is said aid that Lord Salisbury used often otten to ask osk her advice and lean upon her Judgment Probably she persuaded d him to give her brother the great chance of ot his hl life lIfo as liS chief secretary for tor Ireland It Is in generally agreed that she has kept kepl him hint In political life con conquered conquered conquered his lila natural Indolence and made madea a practical successful statesman out of at the tue philosopher who wrote two big volumes to explain that nothing Is worth worrying about or striving tot for New York Sun |
